How Scholarships and Internships Work Together to Change Lives

July 31 is National Intern Day—an opportunity to celebrate future leaders, and to address the challenges they face in the transition to their careers.

It’s a day that impacts more people than ever before. Internships have never been a bigger part of the journey from high school to a career, with more than 60% of undergraduate students in the U.S. reporting that they’ve completed at least one internship while in college.

The value of internships to students is clear. As outlined by Indeed, these entry-level opportunities give students and recent graduates the opportunity to discover their strengths in the workplace; to network with professionals and find mentors; and to gain much-needed experience in their chosen field.

Internship access through scholarships

At Scholarship America, we work with companies of all sizes who have helped students and bolstered their workforce with scholarships that include internship opportunities. They include two of our Fortune 100 sponsors:

PepsiCo: The PepsiCo S.M.I.L.E scholarship is open to community college students who plan to transfer to four-year schools. Award winners receive $25,000 per year in tuition for two years (a total of $50,000) at a four-year school, plus professional mentoring from a PepsiCo associate.

PepsiCo S.M.I.L.E Scholar Pamela Morales recently joined the company in a full-time role, and said: “As a PepsiCo Foundation S.M.I.L.E. scholar turned intern, I am so honored to receive the opportunity to join the team as a full time associate. PepsiCo’s educational and professional support has propelled me to new heights that, years ago, I didn’t think I could reach.”

Amazon: Amazon’s Future Engineer Scholarship gives recipients hands-on experience from the start. The program provides paid internship opportunities at Amazon for undergraduates, in addition to renewable scholarships totaling up to $40,000 over four years.

Enrique Guzman, an Amazon Future Engineer and member of the University of California Class of 2027, said, “I did my best in high school but needed funding to go to the university I felt would push me the most. Then I received the Amazon package at my doorstep and later interned at Amazon headquarters! Interning as a freshman is a huge head start and builds a career-oriented mindset that is life changing.”

Barriers to internship access

Unfortunately, many of the students who would benefit most are unable to access these vital internship opportunities. The Hechinger Report outlines the key issue:

“According to data collected by NACE, 62% of students in the undergraduate Class of 2023 completed an internship in college. That rate is significantly higher at highly selective institutions like the University of Pennsylvania, where almost 90% of students completed an internship, according to the university’s career services office. At the City College of New York, where Pell Grant-recipients comprise two-thirds of the undergraduate student population, that rate falls to just 35% to 40% of students, school administrators told The Hechinger Report.

“Many of those coveted summer or semester-long opportunities lock out undergraduates from low-income backgrounds because they are unpaid or offer small stipends and require students to cover the cost of transportation and housing.”

Those basic financial realities keep the massive benefits of an internship out of reach for a significant percentage of students from low-income backgrounds, and those who are already balancing school with work, family or caregiving responsibilities. Paid internships can help, but students can face other obstacles as they pursue those opportunities.

Karina Delgado, a first-generation college student and intern at the National College Attainment Network, shared her own knowledge about dealing with these less obvious barriers:  “While internships can improve postgraduate outcomes, this gap reflects the broader challenges of navigating the hidden curriculum of higher education—the unspoken rules, expectations, and norms that play a critical role in a student’s post-secondary success,” she wrote. “First-generation college students often encounter challenges in finding and applying for internships because they are navigating unfamiliar systems with minimal guidance.”

Using scholarships to open doors

Scholarship programs can help open the door to internships in a number of different ways. Students who earn private scholarships find their financial stress relieved, allowing them to work fewer hours to make ends meet, and providing them with the time they need to pursue internship opportunities.

To help even more directly, scholarship programs can include mentoring, work experience or internship opportunities for recipients—and with more than 80% of employers saying that “internships provided the best return on investment as a recruiting strategy,” it’s a win-win for both the student and the scholarship sponsor.

When more students can access internships, more careers can get off to a bright start. By providing a scholarship that includes an internship component, your company can change lives and find incredible new recruits. This National Intern Day, get in touch with Scholarship America and find out how we can help you develop and administer a program that makes a difference.